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Tag: Charlottetown YYG

  • Air Canada to cut more routes in Atlantic provinces amid rising COVID-19 cases

    From BNN Bloomberg – link to source story and VIDEO

    The Canadian Press – 8 December 2020

    Air Canada will be cutting more routes in Atlantic Canada starting in the new year because of a second wave of COVID-19 infections.

    Effective Jan. 11, the airline says it will be suspending until further notice all flights in Sydney, N.S., and Saint John, N.B., along with temporarily halting routes in Deer Lake, N.L., Charlottetown, Fredericton and Halifax.

    “This decision was not taken lightly, and we regret the impact on our customers and community partners, but it is increasingly difficult to continue to operate in this challenging environment, without specific financial support from government, with whom 1/8 we 3/8 continue to wait for negotiations to start,” said Peter Fitzpatrick, an Air Canada spokesman.

    The move comes after the country’s largest airline announced in June the indefinite suspensions of 11 routes in Atlantic Canada and the closure of stations in Bathurst, N.B., and Wabush, N.L.

    Fitzpatrick said the most recent route cuts in Atlantic Canada represent a small subset of the 95 planned suspensions it announced along with its third-quarter earnings results in November.

    In October, WestJet Airlines said it was suspending 80 per cent of its Atlantic Canada capacity.

    Airlines have been cutting service as passenger demand has dwindled, prompting Air Canada to convert several planes to carry freight. The airline industry has been calling for federal support for months.

    The federal government last week announced support for sectors that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, including airports and hotels, but didn’t provide specific aid to airlines.

    Daniel-Robert Gooch, president of the Canadian Airports Council, said the lack of a targeted response from the federal government contributed to the cuts by Air Canada.

    “This development was practically inevitable given the continued provincial restrictions on air travel in Atlantic Canada, the reluctance to consider COVID-19 testing programs to improve safety and mitigate the need for such long quarantines and the lack of federal support for our air carrier partners,” he said.

    Derrick Stanford, president of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association and CEO of Saint John Airport, said this third major round of cuts in the last six months is whittling down service to an unsustainable level.

    Other airports across the country have made drastic cuts to their operating expenses as the lack of revenue from fees forces them to reduce costs.

    “Our industry cannot survive and operate in these conditions, and we are seeing the worst-case scenario playing out here today,” Stanford said in a news release.

    “This will have a huge impact on our region’s economy, on the ability of families to reconnect, on the movement of essential workers, and on airport employees and businesses.”

  • WestJet makes difficult decision to suspend service to four cities in Atlantic Canada

    Airline cuts more than 100 weekly flights across region

    CALGARY, AB, Oct. 14, 2020 /CNW/ – Today, WestJet announced it will be indefinitely suspending operations to Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown while significantly reducing service to Halifax and St. John’s. The suspension eliminates more than 100 flights weekly or almost 80 percent of seat capacity from the Atlantic region starting November 2. Details can be found at bottom of release.

    “It has become unviable to serve these markets and these decisions were regrettably inevitable as demand is being obliterated by the Atlantic bubble and third-party fee increases,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO. “Since the pandemic’s beginning, we have worked to keep essential air service to all of our domestic airports, but we are out of runway and have been forced to suspend service in the region without sector-specific support.”

    For a video message from WestJet President and CEO, Ed Sims, click here.

    With today’s announcement, all flights to and from Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown will be discontinued as of November 2. A return to service date is unknown at this time. Guests impacted will be contacted directly regarding their options for travel to and from the region.

    In June, WestJet announced permanent layoffs to its workforce through its airport transformation and contact centre consolidation. Regrettably, active WestJetters from the airline’s stations in Fredericton, Moncton, Sydney and Charlottetown will be impacted by further layoffs as of November 2, 2020.

    “We understand this is devastating news to the communities, our airport partners and the WestJetters who rely on our airline, but these suspensions were unavoidable without the prioritization of rapid-testing or support for the introduction of a safe Canadian bubble,” continued Sims. “We remain committed to the Atlantic region and it is our intent to resume operations as soon as it becomes economically viable to do so.”

    Atlantic Canada suspensions by the numbers

    • Elimination of more than 100 weekly flights or almost 80 percent of seat capacity from the Atlantic region.
    • Temporary closure and service to four Atlantic stations (Charlottetown, Moncton, Fredericton and Sydney).
    • Halifax seat capacity will be reduced by 70 per cent year over year.
    • The Atlantic provinces will retain three routes Halifax-Toronto, Halifax-Calgary and St. John’s-Halifax.
    • Service between Halifax and Toronto will operate with 14 weekly flights.
    • Service between Halifax and St. John’s will remain with 11 weekly flights.
    • Service between Halifax and Calgary will remain with nine weekly flights.

    Since 2003, WestJet has successfully brought competition and lower fares to the Atlantic region through new service and routes, while driving tourism and business investments. As of 2019, the airline had added more than 700,000 annual seats to the region since 2015, while creating the opportunity for travel to, from and within the region on 28 routes. The airline has also worked to grow Halifax as the Atlantic gateway to Europe through the introduction of successful nonstop transatlantic service to London-Gatwick, Paris, Glasgow and Dublin since 2016, providing key economic and tourism links between the regions. Up until this announcement, WestJet was the only Canadian airline that maintained 100 per cent of its pre-COVID domestic network.

    Temporary Route Suspensions:

    RoutePlanned 2020
    Frequency    (Pre-COVID)    		Current
    Frequency    		Frequency Effective Nov. 2,
    2020
    Halifax – Sydney1x daily2x weeklySuspended
    Halifax – Ottawa1x daily2x weeklySuspended
    Moncton – Toronto3x daily4x weeklySuspended
    Fredericton – Toronto13x weekly4x weeklySuspended
    Charlottetown – Toronto3x weekly2x weeklySuspended
    St. John’s – Toronto1x daily5x weeklySuspended

    Planned service in Atlantic Canada as of Nov. 2, 2020:

    RouteFrequency Effective Nov. 2, 2020
    Halifax – Toronto2x daily
    Halifax – Calgary9x weekly
    Halifax – St. John’s11x weekly

     

  • NAV CANADA to resume nighttime service at five Atlantic Canada locations

    OTTAWA, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NAV CANADA will restore regular nighttime air navigation services at five locations in Atlantic Canada, beginning August 18, 2020. This decision was made after considering both the regional public health environment and operational requirements.

    In May 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic NAV CANADA temporarily suspended overnight air navigation services at 18 facilities, including air traffic control towers, flight service stations and locations which receive remote airport aerodrome advisory service. These measures reduced the exposure of NAV CANADA’s essential employees to the coronavirus, while ensuring that critical air navigation services remained available when they were most needed.

    NAV CANADA remains fully committed to safeguarding the health of our employees and the resiliency of our services. The company will remain vigilant and regularly reassess the COVID-19 situation.

    Quick Facts

    • Midnight operations will be restored at the following sites.

    Aerodrome Advisory Service

    SiteEffective DateEffective Time
    Charlottetown, PEIAugust 18, 202022:00 local
    Saint John, NBAugust 18, 202022:00 local
    Deer Lake, NLAugust 18, 202022:00 local

    Remote Aerodrome Advisory Service

    SiteEffective DateEffective Time
    Sydney, NSAugust 18, 202022:00 local
    St. Anthony, NLAugust 18, 202022:00 local
    • Pilots can receive detailed information about these new levels of service through NOTAM.
    • The temporary suspension of overnight services remains in effect at Prince Albert (Glass Field) SK (CYPA) and Red Deer, AB. The need for temporary measures at these remaining sites will continue to be assessed based on the prevailing regional public health environment and operational considerations.
    • Safeguard measures, including enhanced cleaning protocols and restricting visitor access remains in effect at all NAV CANADA operational units.

  • Air Canada cancellations have long-term implications, says Atlantic business leader

    News from CBC News – link to story

    No Charlottetown-Halifax flights had been operating since April COVID-19 slowdown

    Kevin Yarr · CBC News · Posted: Jul 02, 2020

    With demand down in the pandemic, Air Canada has suspended 30 routes indefinitely. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

    Atlantic Canada could be feeling an extended impact from Air Canada’s decision to suspend some key flights in the region, says the CEO of the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce.

    Earlier this week, the airline announced it was “indefinitely suspending” 30 flight routes, including trips from Charlottetown to Halifax and vice versa. In 2019, 35,000 people flew on that route, but planes have not flown the route since early April, when restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic set in.

    Air Canada said decreased demand due to the pandemic’s lingering impact does not support bringing the four daily round trips between Charlottetown and Halifax back in September, as the airline had originally planned.

    Air connections are important for businesses in particular, says Sheri Somerville, CEO of the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce — “not just economic recovery out of COVID, but also our recovery and growth for the future of Atlantic Canada.”

    The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce is hoping to work with government to find ways to help the economy in the region.

    In a news release announcing the changes, Canada’s biggest airline said: “Air Canada expects the industry’s recovery will take a minimum of three years. As a consequence, other changes to its network and schedule, as well as further service suspensions, will be considered over the coming weeks as the airline takes steps to decisively reduce its overall cost structure and cash burn rate.”

    With files from Lauren Toffan

  • Air Canada Discontinues Service on 30 Domestic Regional Routes and Closes Eight Stations in Canada

    From Air Canada

    Regional flying rationalized due to COVID-19 and government travel restrictions, part of airline’s Cost Reduction Program to reduce cash burn

    MONTREAL, June 30, 2020  /CNW Telbec/ – Air Canada said today that it is indefinitely suspending service on 30 domestic regional routes and closing eight stations at regional airports in Canada. 

    These structural changes to Air Canada’s domestic regional network are being made as a result of continuing weak demand for both business and leisure travel due to COVID-19 and provincial and federal government-imposed travel restrictions and border closures, which are diminishing prospects for a near-to-mid-term recovery.

    As the company has previously reported, Air Canada expects the industry’s recovery will take a minimum of three years. As a consequence, other changes to its network and schedule, as well as further service suspensions, will be considered over the coming weeks as the airline takes steps to decisively reduce its overall cost structure and cash burn rate.

    A full list of route suspensions and station closures is below.

    As a result of COVID-19, Air Canada reported a net loss of $1.05 billion in the first quarter of 2020, including a net cash-burn in March of $688 million. The carrier has undertaken a range of structural changes including significant cost savings and liquidity measures, of which today’s announced service suspensions form part. Other measures include:

    • A workforce reduction of approximately 20,000 employees, representing more than 50 per cent of its staff, achieved through layoffs, severances, early retirements and special leaves;
    • A company-wide Cost Reduction and Capital Deferral Program, that has to date identified around $1.1 billion in savings;
    • A reduction of its system-wide capacity by approximately 85 per cent in the second quarter compared to last year’s second quarter and an expected third quarter capacity reduction of at least 75% from the third quarter of 2019;
    • The permanent removal of 79 aircraft from its mainline and Rouge fleets;
    • And raising approximatively $5.5 billion in liquidity since March 13, 2020, through a series of debt, aircraft and equity financings.

    Further initiatives are being considered.

    Route Suspensions

    The following routes will be suspended indefinitely as per applicable regulatory notice requirements. Affected customers will be contacted by Air Canada and offered options, including alternative routings where available.

    Maritimes/Newfoundland and Labrador:

    • Deer Lake-Goose Bay;
    • Deer Lake-St. John’s;
    • Fredericton-Halifax;
    • Fredericton-Ottawa;
    • Moncton-Halifax;
    • Saint John-Halifax;
    • Charlottetown-Halifax;
    • Moncton-Ottawa;
    • Gander-Goose Bay;
    • Gander-St. John’s;
    • Bathurst-Montreal;
    • Wabush-Goose Bay;
    • Wabush-Sept-Iles;
    • Goose Bay-St. John’s.

    Quebec/Ontario:

    • Baie Comeau-Montreal;
    • Baie Comeau-Mont Joli;
    • Gaspé-Iles de la Madeleine;
    • Gaspé-Quebec City;
    • Sept-Iles-Quebec City;
    • Val d’Or-Montreal;
    • Mont Joli-Montreal;
    • Rouyn-Noranda-Val d’Or;
    • Kingston-Toronto;
    • London-Ottawa;
    • North Bay-Toronto
    • Windsor-Montreal

    Western Canada: 

    • Regina-Winnipeg;
    • Regina-Saskatoon;
    • Regina-Ottawa;
    • Saskatoon-Ottawa.

    Station Closures

    The following are the Regional Airports where Air Canada is closing its stations:

    • Bathurst (New Brunswick)
    • Wabush (Newfoundland and Labrador)
    • Gaspé (Quebec)
    • Baie Comeau (Quebec)
    • Mont Joli (Quebec)
    • Val d’Or (Quebec)
    • Kingston (Ontario)
    • North Bay (Ontario)

  • From banner year to standstill: Charlottetown Airport CEO unveils grim forecast

    News from CBC News – link to story

    Charlottetown Airport to consider increasing passenger fees, looks for long-term rent relief

    Stephanie vanKampen · CBC News · Posted: Jun 23, 2020

    Charlottetown Airport is predicting a drop of up to 80 per cent in passenger traffic for 2020. (John Robertson/CBC)

    The Charlottetown Airport revealed a stark financial forecast at its virtual annual public meeting. With passenger traffic expected to drop by 75 to 80 per cent in 2020, the airport has put plans to expand on hold and is considering increasing passenger fees.

    During the meeting, broadcast via Facebook Live, the airport’s Chief Executive Officer Doug Newson said he had been expecting a record year for passenger traffic in 2020, until mid-March, when air traffic slowed to a trickle due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Prince Edward Island’s 14-day isolation requirements for people entering the province. 

    “I think it’s safe to say,” said Newson, “air travel may never be the same again.”

    The airport began the year with an altogether different problem — growth outpacing the size of the terminal. Three new flight services were set to start in the summer of 2020: Flair, Swoop, and a direct flight to Calgary offered by WestJet. Those have all been either delayed or cancelled. 

    Most of the airport’s revenue comes from passenger fees and aircraft landing fees. 

    “With passenger traffic down 97 per cent,” said Newson, “most of this revenue has essentially disappeared overnight.”

    The airport charges a $20 fee per passenger, which Newson said is one of the lowest airport fees in the country.

    In 2019, passenger fees accounted for $4 million in revenue for the airport. But with fewer passengers, Newson told the annual meeting that the airport is considering an increase to that fee, although the earliest that would happen until towards the end of the year.

    The airport has already had to dip into its capital reserve funds and is hoping for extended rent relief from the federal government. The government already waived airport rent from March to December 2020. But because the airport pays rent based on a percentage of revenue above $5 million, it likely wouldn’t have met the threshold to pay rent anyway, said Newson.

    Newson said he “believes more could be done to help airports and the industry across this country” and would like to see longer-term rent relief. 

    Charlottetown Airport has launched a new logo focused on its airport code. (Charlottetown Airport)

    Amid the grim forecast, the airport has launched a rebrand, complete with a new bilingual website www.flyyyg.com and logo, focused on the airport code, YYG. 

    Plans to expand the terminal have been put on hold. Two seasonal positions have also been cut and other employees are working on reduced hours. 

    Beginning July 1, Air Canada will be offering three flights daily to the Charlottetown Airport while West Jet flies to the Island twice weekly.

    Due to COVID 19, only travellers are allowed inside the airport terminal building, physical distancing is required and airlines are asking passengers to wear a mask.

  • Charlottetown Airport down to one daily, 2 weekly flights due to COVID-19

    News from CBC News – link to video – 16 June 2020

    ‘It’s had a devastating impact on our current financials,’ CEO Doug Newson tells CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin

  • WestJet releases July schedule to get Canadians exploring again

    From WestJet, an Alberta Partnership

    Airline continues to focus on significant safety and hygiene enhancements to ensure a safe travel journey

    CALGARY, AB, June 15, 2020 /CNW/ – WestJet today released its updated July schedule, developed to allow Canadians the pleasure of summer travel while economically supporting communities across the country in safely reopening travel and domestic tourism. In addition, the airline has added flights to select U.S. markets.

    To ensure guests can book with confidence, the airline maintains its stringent Safety Above All hygiene program and continues to provide flexibility in booking, change and cancellation policies.

    “Today’s schedule reflects our commitment to orderly and safe travel while providing steps to allow Canadians to get out, explore, and take part in critical economic activities like staying in hotels, eating out, visiting tourist attractions or simply just travelling to see friends and family,” said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. “Governments and Canadians from coast-to-coast are working together to lessen the impact of this pandemic and we are grateful that these efforts have put us in a position to add more options for travel this July.”

    From July 5 through August 4, 2020, WestJet will offer operations to 45 destinations including 39 in Canada, five in the U.S. and one in Mexico an increase of approximately 102 per cent more flights from June, but down 76 per cent from July 2019.

    Continued von zur Muehlen, “As we emerge from the pandemic, health vigilance must be balanced with the gradual reopening of our economy. WestJet has done our part and spent millions of dollars to ensure the safety and well-being of our guests and our people. We’re ready to get Canadians flying.”

    On March 22, WestJet suspended its international and transborder operations. The airline’s schedule now contains flights to key transborder and international destinations including Los Angeles (LAX), Atlanta (ATL) and Las Vegas (LAS).

    “Jurisdictions around the world are opening, allowing citizens to begin flying once again which is kickstarting their economies for recovery. We’ve heard from the communities we serve and look forward to having Canadians safely participate and stimulate domestic tourism this summer,” stated von zur Muehlen.

    At this time, the airline is planning on operating the following domestic routes and frequencies from July 5 – August 4.

    (more…)

  • What will make you feel safe to travel, Charlottetown Airport asks

    News from CBC News – link to story

    ‘A lot of the things you will see in the survey we are doing already’

    Kevin Yarr · CBC News · Posted: Jun 15, 2020

    Charlottetown Airport Is preparing for when air travel starts to open up again. (Stephanie Brown/CBC News)

    Charlottetown Airport wants to know more about what travellers are hoping to see in the building as air travel recovers from the pandemic.  

    People are being asked to fill out an online survey. Charlottetown Airport CEO Doug Newson said the data gathered will be used to guide decisions at the airport.

    “The intention is to allow airports to have a full understanding of what passengers and others expect from airports when it comes to operations and customer service as travel starts to recover at some point in time,” said Newson.

    “I think a lot of the things you will see in the survey we are doing already. We may learn from this that people aren’t even ready to travel yet.”

    The survey asks questions about cleaning protocols and physical distancing. It’s posted on the Charlottetown Airport’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

    It takes about five minutes to complete, Newson said, and will be available until June 26.

  • Swoop postpones seasonal service to Charlottetown

    News from CBC News – link to story

    Service won’t begin until Oct. 24

    CBC News · Posted: Jun 11, 2020

    Swoop, the ultra-low cost carrier launched by WestJet, has delayed its Charlottetown expansion. (WestJet)

    Swoop, WestJet’s discount airline, has delayed its Charlottetown flights until late October, according to the airline’s website.

    Before COVID-19, the airline had planned to offer three flights a week to Hamilton starting at the end of June.

    Now, officials with Swoop say service won’t begin until Oct. 24.

    The flights were intended to be offered in Charlottetown on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from June 27 to Oct. 22.

    A return flight from Charlottetown to Hamilton in July was originally priced under $200, with the Hamilton service meant to allow for connections to other parts of Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.

    Any travellers impacted are being contacted by email.